The field of this disclosure relates generally to combustion systems and, more particularly, to a gas turbine engine combustion system and a method of assembling the same.
Many known gas turbine engines include a combustion system for mixing fuel with compressed air and igniting the mixture to produce combustion gases. The combustion gases are directed into a turbine system to drive a turbine into rotation, thereby driving a fan, a compressor, and/or a generator rotatably coupled to the turbine. In some gas turbine engines (e.g., propelling gas turbine engines on an aircraft), the combustion gases are exhausted from the turbine system into the ambient air, thereby providing thrust for the aircraft. In some other gas turbine engines (e.g., gas turbine engines in a combined cycle power plant), the combustion gases are directed from the turbine system into a heat recovery steam generator for use in producing steam.
Most known combustion systems experience significant temperature and pressure gradients associated with the combustion process. These temperature and pressure gradients can be a source of stress on the combustion system. As such, it would be useful to provide a combustion system that facilitates efficient operation of the gas turbine engine, while better withstanding the temperature and pressure gradients associated with the combustion process.